5
19. Shut the engine off and wait until the blade comes to a
complete stop before removing the grass catcher or un clog-
ging the chute.
The cutting blade continues to rotate for a few second s after
the engine is shut off. Never place any part of the body in
the blade area until you are sure the blade has stopped
rotating.
20. Never operate mower without proper trail shield, discharge
cover, grass catcher, blade control handle or other safety
protective devices in place and working. Never operate
mower with damaged safety devices. Failure to do so can
result in personal injury.
21. Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do
not touch.
22. Only use parts and accessories made for this machi ne by
manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal injury.
23. If situations occur which are not covered in this manual,
use care and good judgment. Contact your dealer for
assistance.
Slope Operation
Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall accidents, which
can result in severe injury. Operation on slopes requires extra
caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not mow it. For your
safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this manual to
measure slopes before operating this unit on a sloped or hilly
area. If the slope is greater than 15 degrees, do not mow it.
Do:
1. Mow across the face of slopes; never up and down. Exercise
extreme caution when changing direction on slopes.
2. Watch for holes, rut s, rocks, hidden objects, or bumps
which can cause you to slip or trip. Tall grass can hide
obstacles.
3. Always be sure of your footing . A slip and fall can cause
serious personal injury. If you feel you are losing your
balance, release the blade control handle imme diately, and
the blade will stop rotating within 3 seconds.
Do Not:
1. Do not mow near drop -offs, ditches or embankments , you
could lose your footing or balance.
2. Do not mow slopes g reater than 15 degrees as shown on
the slope gauge.
3. Do not mow on wet grass. U nstable footing could cause
slipping.
Service
Safe Handling Of Gasoline:
1. To avoid personal injury or pro perty damage use extreme
care in handling gasoline. Gasoline is extremel y flammable
and the vapors are explosive. Serious personal injur y can
occur when gasoline is spilled on yourself or your c lothes,
which can ignite. Wash your skin and change clothes
immediately.
2. Use only an approved g asoline container.
3. Never fill containe rs inside a vehicle or on a truck or trailer
bed with a plastic liner. Always place containers on the
ground away from your vehicle before filling.
4. Remove gas-powere d equipment from the truck or trailer
and refuel it on the ground. If this is not possible, the n refuel
such equipment on a trailer with a portable c ontainer, rather
than from a gasoline dispenser nozzle.
5. Keep the nozzle in co ntact with the rim of the fuel tank or
container opening at all times until fueling is co mplete. Do
not use a nozzle lock-open device.
6. Extingu ish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes an d other sources
of ignition.
7. Never fuel machine in door because flammable vapors will
accumulate in the area.
8. Never remove gas cap or add f uel while engine is hot or
running. Allow engine to cool at least two minutes be fore
refueling.
9. Never over fill fuel tank. Fi ll tank to no more than ½ inch
below bottom of filler neck to provide for fuel expansio n.
10. Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely.
11. If gasoline is spilled, wipe it off the engine and equ ipment.
Move unit to another area. Wait 5 minutes before starting
engine.
12. Never store the machine or fuel container near an open
flame, spark or pilot light as on a water heater, space
heater, furnace, clothes dryer or other gas appliances.
13. To reduce fire hazard, keep mower free of grass, leaves,
or other debris build-up. Clean up oil or fuel spill age and
remove any fuel soaked debris.
14. Allow a mower to cool at least 5 minutes before storing.
General Service:
1. Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ventilated area.
Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an odorless
and deadly gas.
2. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain the
blade and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect the
spark plug wire and ground against the engine to prevent
unintended starting.
3. Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at frequent
intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually inspect blade
for damage (e.g., bent, cracked, worn) Replace blade with
the original equipment manufacture’s (O.E.M.) blade only,
listed in this manual. “Use of parts which do not meet the
original equipment specifications may lead to improper
performance and compromise safety!”
4. Mower blades are sharp and can cut. Wrap the blade or
wear gloves, and use extra caution when servicing them.
5. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equip-
ment is in safe working condition.
6. Never tamper with safety devices. Check their proper
operation regularly.
7. After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, discon-
nect the spark plug wire and ground against the engine.
Thoroughly inspect the mower for any damage. Repair the
damage before starting and operating the mower.
8. Never attempt to make a whe el or cutting height adjust-
ment while the engine is running.
9. Grass catcher c omponents, discharge cover, and trail
shield are subject to wear and damage which could
expose moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. For
safety protection, frequently check compo nents and re-
place immediately with original equipment ma nufacturer’s
(O.E.M.) parts only, listed in this manual. “Use of par ts
which do not meet the original equipment speci fications
may lead to improper performance and compromis e
safety!”
10. Do not change the engine governor setting or over-rev the
engine. The governor controls the maximum safe operating
speed of the engine.
11. Maintain or replace safety labels, as necessary.
12. Observe proper disposal laws and regulations. Improper
disposal of fluids and materials can harm the environment.
2
Safe Operation PracticesWARNING